“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence.

In 1870 the 15th amendment stated race, color or previous condition of servitude was not considered when voting, meaning all men could vote. In 1919 the 19th amendment gave women suffrage.

All people are equal right? Its now 2013 and same-sex marriage is still not legalized at a federal level. Based off of the founding fathers of our country, all should be equal and have the right to pursuit happiness.

When two people are in love, no matter the sex, according to the Declaration of Independence they should be happy and have the liberty and life to do so. When the national government is not acknowledging that two people of the same gender have the right to be legally together, it is going against the basis of our country.

There are now 13 states in which gay marriage is legal. The issue is that if only a handful of states are accepting gay marriage, then it’s not nationally accepted. As a country based off of freedom, any question of gay marriage shouldn’t even be in the picture right now.

Even when the country was starting off, a lot of the politics had been influenced by religion. As important as religion is to some, it creates a difference in opinion. America gives us the right to believe in whatever we want, including different religions.

In this day and age should national laws be based off of certain religions when our country is not defined by one religion but  by many? The answer is no. Our national government should take an unbiased stand on something that should have been resolved years ago, because religious institutions do not have jurisdiction.

It is a good thing our current president is in favor of legalizing gay marriage. Hopefully some changes will be made in the near future concerning legalizing gay marriage. With it also being Ally Week at school make sure to show your support support and be an ally.